Serve Your Way to the Top – 7 Lessons I Learned While Serving My Way onto a Church Staff

Lesson 4 – Be a Great Number 2

This is very similar to the last lesson, “Serve as Though You Were on Staff”, the difference – this one you’re actually on staff. Most people have aspirations of going to higher levels as a leader. Higher levels of leadership comes through higher positions.

Be a great number 2, and when your time comes, You’ll be a Great Number 1

A lot of people want to have the position of the person they report to. Unfortunately, they go about this by trying to out do them, talk poorly about them, some just flat out tell the person – I want your position and I’m coming for it. None of these approaches are healthy or effective. My advice – would be the same advice a mentor gave me a long time ago – “Be a great Number 2″

What does being a great number two look like?

1.) Supporting Your Supervisor No Matter What -believe in them regardless of anything that comes up that upsets you.

2.) Submitting to Your Supervisor no Matter What - If you’re not the #1 guy – that means that it’s not your organization. You don’t get to make the decisions, they do. When you have your own, you’ll call the shots. Until then – always give your input, but once a decision as been made – you submit and support it, no matter what!

3.) Allow Him/Her to Focus on the Big Picture - #1′s shouldn’t have to set-up/tear down, sweat the small details, or anything else along those lines. They need to be freed up to focus on the vision of the organization, provide direction, and then lead. Take care of everything else!

God said if you’re faithful with little, He’ll make you faithful over much. If you’re faithful as a number 2, you’re time to be number 1 will come. When it does, you’ll be grateful you were a great number 2.

Serve Your Way to the Top – 7 Lessons I Learned While Serving My Way onto a Church Staff

Lesson 3 – Serve/Work as Though You Were on Staff

Work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. – I Peter 2:10

I remember before being on staff I set up a meeting with my youth pastor and the youth assistant at the time. They were and still are both very close friends. I told both of them, guys – I want you to treat me as if I were on staff. Give me the same responsibility, same expectations, etc. It opened the door to do some great things. I ended up doing that at ever job I’ve had. I’d meet with whoever my supervisor was and say, “I want more. Treat me as if I were at the next level.”

Some Things I learned from acting as if you were at a higher place than you currently are:

1.) Go the Extra Mile with What You Have – Whatever you are in charge of, make sure it’s getting done with excellence.

2.) Take a Load off Your Superviser - Ask them if there is anything you can take off their plate. What can you do to bless them? What can you do that nobody else would want to?

3.) Make Everyone Else Look Awesome - Make your team better! Compliment them in front of others. Sharpen them! Encourage them to dream bigger. Come along side them on a project and help them through it!

4.) Make Sure the Job Gets Done - Bottom line any leader is looking for is someone who gets the job done. Make sure you’re being labeled as someone who gets the job done, no matter what!

Act as if you were at the next level, act as if you’re good enough to go to the next level, act as if you’re the most faithful person on the planet – because with that attitude you will be all of the above and watch the doors of opportunity swing open for you.

This series I am starting came from an opportunity given to me by Pastor Larry Bettencourt. He puts on servant-leadership conferences for youth ministries around the nation.

He asked me to put together a lesson for youth ministry leaders. The lesson God gave me was, Serve Your Way to the Top - 7 Lessons I Learned While Serving my Way onto a Church Staff.I hope you’ll apply these principles in your own life.

These Lessons:

1.) Might Seem Like Common Sense – though we hear the same principles over and over again, we must always ask ourselves, I may know this, but am I doing it. It’s only in practice will these help you.

2.) Will Work Outside of the Church World – Though I learned these lessons serving at a church, if you’ll apply them in any arena, you’ll start to see yourself improving and climbing the ranks!

3.) Do Not Guarantee You’ll Get on Staff at Your Church – Though these were lessons I learned, the reason I am on staff is because God opened a door – PERIOD. These lessons will allow you to stand out, and as your faithful, God will open up doors and God will promote you. Trust Him for your future.

The 7 Lessons Are:

1.) Develop a Plan for Personal Growth

2.) Be Comfortable With Yourself

3.) Serve or Work as Though You Were on Staff

4.) Be a Great Number 2 – Become Indispensable

5.) Grow Something

6.) Recognize that Changed Lives, Not Popularity is what Matters

7.) You’re Not that Bad

I’ll break each of these lessons down over the next few days. My hope is that they’ll help you serve your way to the top wherever it is you are working or serving.